The Super Eagles are currently experiencing their worst World Cup qualifying campaign in their quest to reach the next Mundial in Mexico, Canada, and the United States of America.
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Since their maiden appearance at the USA ’94 edition, they have never had a worse qualifying campaign than now despite missing out in 2006 and 2022.
After their appearance in 1994, they were at France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002 but failed to book a place in Germany 2006 simply because of the rule change in the qualifiers.
They finished the campaign with the same number of points as Angola and scored more goals.
The Eagles only lost out due to the head-to-head rule after playing out a draw with the Palancas Negras in Kano and losing 1-0 away in Luanda.
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The Super Eagles subsequently qualified for three successive editions of the FIFA World Cup in 2010, 2014, and 2018.
Nigeria, however, narrowly lost the playoff ticket to their West African arch-rivals, Ghana, after finishing top of their group the last time in 2022.
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However, the race to reach the next World Cup in two years has been nothing short of a disaster so far for the three-time African champions despite the array of stars plying their trade in top leagues across Europe.
In this piece, e-Complete Sports analyses five reasons that could be responsible for the Eagles’ poor run in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Lack of Fighting Spirit/Commitment/Discipline from the Players
They say talk is cheap and we have heard Eagles players talk all day about how each of them would leave everything on the pitch each time they have the ‘privilege’ to don the national team colors.
However, their performances have clearly indicated the opposite, so much so that even the blind can easily point it out.
When the draws for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers were released in 2023, it was almost an automatic ticket on paper for Nigeria.
Nigeria has the highest FIFA ranking of the six countries, namely South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Benin Republic.
However, the results after match-day 4 have shown that the Eagles have the least fighting spirit of the teams.
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So far during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, they have recorded nearly their worst results in football, coming from behind to salvage draws against lightweights such as Lesotho and Zimbabwe who qualify for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) once in like every 20 years.
Many have argued that the only national team player who plays with passion and pride on his sleeves is Victor Osimhen but he has missed all the four matches Nigeria has played so far due to injuries.
The majority of the players in the opposition teams play in leagues across Africa but they have undoubtedly shown more fighting spirit, purpose, and commitment to their countries than the Eagles have demonstrated in the qualifiers so far.
There could be no reason or explanation as to why Rwanda, Benin Republic, South Africa, and Lesotho are ahead of Nigeria in Group C.
The Eagles lost 2-1 to the Cheetahs of Benin Republic earlier this month in Abidjan where the latter have adopted as their home in the qualifiers.
Nigeria scored first but the determination and indomitable spirit demonstrated by the Gernot Rohr-led side despite playing far away from home saw them come from behind against the 2023 AFCON finalists and record their first-ever win against the Eagles.
Alex Iwobi simply strolled into the Super Eagles’ camp about 48 hours to the game against the South Africans despite the fact that the 2023/24 Premier League season had been concluded since May 19, 2024.
There is no doubt that over-confidence has been one of the banes of the Eagles in the ongoing World Cup qualifying campaign.
After the draws were done last year, everyone believed it was a compensation for Nigeria missing out on the 2022 World Cup which saw them lose the playoff to Ghana.
This reminds us of how Nigeria approached the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup after the Eagles were placed in the Group of Death, which had Cameroon, Algeria, and Zambia.
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Nigeria was absolutely invincible during the qualifiers, finishing top of the table on 13 points from six matches and five ahead of Zambia in second place despite FIFA awarding three points and as many goals to Algeria at the Eagles’ expense for fielding Abdullahi Shehu who was supposed to sit out the game through suspension.
Nigeria took the campaign seriously because of the quality of opposition they were paired with.
The Eagles have certainly approached the 2026 World Cup qualifiers too casually, beginning with the draw against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, two countries that should have been roasted on a good day.
If anyone would argue against that, the results have proven to be true. Nigerian players play for the best football clubs in the world and are exposed to the best training facilities.
However, they should know by now that gone are the days when countries jitter at the mention of Nigeria in African football. The fear factor has long been lost.
If the Eagles also think opponents should bow before them because they finished as runners-up at the 2023 AFCON, certainly the results must have jolted them from their slumber by now.
Coaching
This is a very important element that Nigeria has not been lucky with since the duo of Dutchmen, Clemens Westerhof and Jo Bonfrere left.
Local coaches have been used as stop-gaps rather than being a means to an end in a deliberate blueprint to develop Nigerian football. It has all been trial and error since then.
Former coach, Gernot Rohr, who was in charge of the team for five years, was fired a few weeks before the 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.
Though he qualified Nigeria for the 2018 World Cup, the Eagles struggled against the likes of Central African Republic in the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup.
They nevertheless managed to top the group before losing the ticket to Ghana during the playoff which was handled by Augustine Eguavoen.
Rohr was replaced by Jose Peseiro who struggled in his early days. The Portuguese lost most of his friendly matches in charge of the team.
The only campaign Peseiro had a smooth ride was in the qualification for the 2023 African Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
Before the tournament in which he guided Nigeria to a second-place finish, he oversaw the first two matches in the qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, two of the lowest-ranked teams by FIFA.
The 64-year-old demonstrated tactical incompetence as a foreign coach in the two matches, justifying why he does not have much pedigree on his resume.
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Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, who he previously coached, are third-world countries in global football. The outcomes have set Nigeria on a struggling campaign in the race for the next World Cup.
How the Eagles unconvincingly managed to reach the final of the 2023 AFCON quickly overshadowed the terrible start to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The terrible performance by his replacement, coach Finidi George, has all but reminded everyone of how bad the situation left by Peseiro is.
Two points from as many matches, Finidi has further complicated the scenario for the Eagles. Finidi’s major experience is handling NPFL record winners, Enyimba International.
What the draw against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa and the shock 2-1 defeat to the Cheetahs of Benin have shown is the gash in quality coaching.
It tells the story that one can have the best players in the world but coaching is also key. The majority of the Beninoise players ply their trade in Africa but Rohr showed what Finidi lacked, mobilizing his troops to win the game despite coming from behind, playing away from their home supporters, owing to their inability to provide a standard facility to host the FIFA competition.
The fate of Finidi on the job he only just barely started was sealed when he resigned as the Super Eagles’ coach.
Meanwhile, the hopes of Nigeria qualifying for the 2026 World Cup after missing out on the last party in Qatar hang in the balance.
Since former Super Eagles captain, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, retired from international football in 2006, Nigeria has suffered from a lack of creativity in the midfield to the attack.
The Eagles have an abundance of talent in the forward line and on the wings, but effectively harnessing them for the good of the senior national team remains a burden.
The country has not been able to find someone in the mould of the former Bolton and Paris Saint-Germain midfield maestro.
John Obi Mikel could have filled this role, but his development was hindered by Jose Mourinho, who converted him to a defensive midfielder at Chelsea. He played that role at club level throughout the eleven seasons he spent at Stamford Bridge.
At Chelsea, Mikel was a key player, but he did not shine as brightly in the senior national team, where he played as a number 10.
Mourinho simply short-changed Nigeria, not Mikel. Alex Iwobi, a cousin to Okocha, has since stepped into these shoes, which have been too big for the Fulham man to fill.
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Iwobi was almost non-existent at the 2023 AFCON, which was not his fault. Peseiro’s formation simply ruined the tournament for him, but we all know that the former Arsenal midfielder’s ingenuity in the midfield is greatly stunted.
He has played all the games in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers so far. Nigeria has a minus one goal difference in Group C, with Zimbabwe having a worse record in the group than us.
Benin Republic has scored the same number of goals as Nigeria after four matches, meaning the Super Eagles have not scored enough goals.
Iwobi was substituted in the second half of the loss to the Cheetahs, a game in which the country needed all the creative arsenals in the world when trailing against a team far below them in the FIFA ranking.
That is why the Eagles have conceded more goals than they have scored in the campaign so far. It is an indictment of Iwobi as a creative midfielder.
The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) cannot be exonerated from the current fiasco rocking the Super Eagles’ 2026 World Cup qualifiers simply because the buck stops at their table.
The confirmation that they are to blame to a large extent was validated by the leadership being summoned by the Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan-Enoh, following the embarrassing 2-1 defeat to Benin Republic.
Despite missing out on the party in Qatar two years ago, the 2026 World Cup qualifiers have been a total disaster for Nigeria.
Peseiro took charge of the opening two games against Lesotho and Zimbabwe last year, both of which ended in a 1-1 draw.
The Portuguese was a product of a lack of sense of direction by the former NFF leadership under Amaju Pinnick, whom the 64-year-old dazzled and deceived with the breakdown of each Eagles player by the use of Wyscout.
Said to have been recommended by Jose Mourinho, has the former Chelsea manager ever been to Nigeria, let alone knowing what is best for our football?
Many Nigerian football commentators have said the manner in which the current NFF leadership handled the negotiations with Peseiro after the 2023 AFCON without a plan B, in case the Portuguese did not renew his deal, is criminal.
Between the conclusion of the 2023 AFCON on February 11, 2024, and the end of that month, when Peseiro announced he would no longer be working with the federation due to a lack of common ground on new financial compensation after surpassing the semi-final target set for him at the tournament, and the end of April, when Finidi was announced as the new coach, eight weeks (two months) were wasted by the NFF.
This was without bearing in mind the precarious manner in which the Eagles had started the World Cup qualifying campaign and the urgency the whole situation should be accorded.
They were laughed at by many who said that the federation wasted a precious two months looking for a coach only to find Finidi.
Those who have gone to the extreme have said should Nigeria fail to pick a ticket to the next mundial, the NFF board should resign without hesitation, considering their role in all of this.
looking at this issue critically iwill say that iwobi lac of commitment on field as finally rob on the other players .many at time this player as caused the team badly by not marking for the team and still walk into the first team at will. a new midfield player with loads of commitment on field especially is highly required. also is very clear now that osimhen chooses games to play and this is bad for the commitment of other players.
The main reason y eagles seems to look as if they are not serious are many
1 wen dey enter field and they found out one person is not there , they too begin to fear for their leg.
2 . Dancing and too much photo taking before a game .
3, camping time too small.
4. They don’t play friendly with local team before playing competitive game .
Ie. Ranger vs eagles 3 days to any game or local team close to their camp… imagine if rangers 2 eagles 0 in a friendly wat wil u think will happen on a match day ie eagles vs Zimbabwe. I m sure everyone will play to win zimbabwe.and the results could be 3 Zimbabwe 0
Even with a 5milloinaire coach.not to talk of 15m …
Let them go bring 80m coach . If u throw Cutlass up 100 times it will land flat.
Go watch Nigeria vs Senegal in 2000
It is now I doubt if Senegal wil not go away with the lone goal .
You are a mad man for that preposterous allegation on Osimhen
CSN and Nigerians, lend me your ears please.
The problem Super Eagles is facing or has been facing all this while is the leadership.
If you don’t put your house in order, this is the problem Super Eagles or Nigeria as nation will be facing.
If NFF like, they should bring the best coach in the world to manage the Eagles, still they are going no where.
It is now clear to me that president Tinubu is not capable of doing anything.
All he want is to be a president. “Emilokan”.
As a good leader, he would have fired the whole NFF board to show his capability and that would have shown every Nigerian that new era has come.
If we don’t get rid of the current NFF board, our football will struggle and other sports will too because, we don’t have a good leader to manage our country likewise our football.
Having said that, I won’t blame any player for the poor results of the Super Eagles.
NFF have killed the moral of the Super Eagles players and it take the grace of God to return the spirit back.
Super Eagles have been struggling since the period of Oga Rohr.
During his time, Eagles has never reached his potentials or achieving a tangible thing.
Eagles struggled at the world cup and at Afcon, he managed to win bronze medal. That should tell the Nigeria Football Federation/Amaju pinnick that they have failed Nigerians.
Hmmm. Furthermore, NFF hasn’t stopped there, they knew exactly what they wanted and they went for it. They [NFF] brought Paseiro in despite the fact that the gaffer has bad record.
Who hired Paseiro and Oga Rohr? Amaju pinnick.
If Nigeria leaders are good to their people and transparent, both Mr. president and the NFF president should have arrested Amaju pinnick for bad things he has committed be left his position.
Nonetheless, Amaju pinnick is no longer the NFF president but in reality, he is still the one ruling our sports not the figurehead and the most incompetent NFF president Gusau.
They should be ashamed of themselves seeing our most beloved Super Eagles struggling to beat the minors in African football.
I am calling on the Mr. President Tinubu to desolve the current NFF board if Nigeria must qualify for the world cup and Afcon.
I omo9ja is representing over 200 millions of Nigerians and I can’t be silent. So therefore Mr. President, desolve the NFF and immediately get the most competent group of people on board to manage our sports.
Renard the former coach of Ivory Coast and Zambia is the most qualified coach to manage our Super Eagles.
The second option is, the former coach of the Burkina Faso, that Super Eagles played against during the afcon 2013, I don’t know his name, he is also qualified to manage Super Eagles.
Renard and the former Burkuna Faso are the most suitable for the Super Eagles job.
The sports minister should never allow Gusau to hire any foreign coach except for the two.
NFF should not say they do not have money. If Ivory Coast, Zambia and Burkina Faso could hired the two coaches, I believe it is not logical if Nigeria Football Federation says there is no money.
Lasting, Finidi has letting our own down. NFF have set him up and he entered their trapped.
NFF have letting Nigerians believed that our own are not good enough to manage the Super Eagles.
NFF have played their game well and they succeeded.
Are the NFF ever hired a competent Nigerian coach?
Are the NFF ever given a local coach a chance like the foreign coaches?
NFF and some of us believed Siasia has failed twice to rescue Nigeria but how?
Whenever the foreign coach fails to do their job, NFF will use our local coaches to clean their mess. That is what is happening now.
NFF knew that they could not push Amunike any how like they did to Finidi, this was the reason Amunike did not get the job.
Now Pitso is out of the list.
Remains,
1. Renard
2. Former Bukina Faso coach
3. Amunike
4. Siasia.
If NFF and the sports minister fail to hire one of the four options above then Nigerians should not think of going to the world cup or Afcon. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
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